Originally found at Phys.org

In recent years, employers across North America have introduced or boosted equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) programs in hopes of creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

But studies have shown that fostering diversity can come with a steep cost, as employees from dominant groups often felt threatened, leading to a backlash against the very groups the employers are seeking to support.

But could those feelings of threat also lead to learning and change, and eventually allyship? A new study from the UBC Sauder School of Business says they can—as long as employers keep communication channels open.

For the study, titled "Beyond Backlash: Advancing Dominant-Group Employees' Learning, Allyship, and Growth through Social Identity Threat," researchers reviewed years of threat literature, examining how individuals and groups manage threat. They also reviewed literature on things like post-traumatic growth, where something that's threatening can eventually lead to a positive outcome. The work is published in the journal Academy of Management Review.

Read the original research in Academy of Management Review.

Learn more about the AOM Scholar and explore their work:

• Camellia Bryan, University of British Columbia
• Brent J. Lyons, York University